Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1887-09-10
CHAPTER XIV.
THE FLOWER TEMPLE.

THE FLOWER TEMPLE.
1t was half past eight by my watch when
woke on the morning following our arrival
at Milosis, having slept almost exactly twelve
hours and l must say that l did indeed fee
better. All, what blessed thing Is sleep
and what difference twelve hours OF It OF
so makes to US after days and nights OF tot
and danger. 1t is like going to bed one mar
and getting up another.
sat up upon my silken couch--never had
slept upon such bed beforehand the first
thing that saw was Goods eyeglass fixed
on me from the recesses of his silken couch
There was nothing else of him to be seen ex.
cept his eyeglass, but knew from the look OF
it that be was awake, and waiting till WOKE
up to begin.
~ say. Quatermain," he commenced, SURF
enough, adid you observe her skina 1t is a,
smooth as the back of an ivory hair brush"
"Now, look here, Good" demonstrated
when there came a knocking at the door,
which, on being opened, admitted function.
airy, who signified by signs that he was there
to lead us to the bath. We gladly consented
and we're conducted to delightful marble
chamber, with pool OF running crystal
water in the center of it, into which we
gayly plunged When we had bathed we re.
turned to our apartment and dressed, and
then went into the central room where we
had supped on the previous evening, to find a
morning meal already prepared for us, and
capital meal it was, though should be puz
zled to describe the dishes. After breakfast
we lounged round and admired the tapestries
and carpets and some pieces of statuary that
were placed about. wondering the while what
tp Ind hy
time our minds were in such state Of com
plete bewilderment that we were, as a matter
of fact, ready for anything that might ar
rive. As for our sense of establishment, II
was pretty well obliterated. While we were
still thus engaged, our friend the captain OF
the guard presented himself, and with many
obeisances signifed that we were to follow
him, which we did, not without doubts and
heart searchings-for we guessed that the
time had come when we should have to settle
the bill for those COMPOUNDED hippopotami with
our cold eyed friend Agon, the high priest
However, there was no help for it, and per
senally took great comfort in the promise
IT the protection Of the sister queens, know
ing that If ladies have a will they can gener
ally find way; so Off we started as though
we liked it. A minutes walk through pas
great double gates of the palace that open on
to the wide highway which runs up hill
through the heart of Milosis to the Temple OF
slope on the farther side of the temple to the
outer wall of the city.
These gates are very large and massive, and
an extraordinarily beautiful work in metal
Between them-for one set is placed at the en-
49, ..ka, - - H.
exterior wallis a fosse, forty-five feet In
width This fosse is filed with water and
spanned by drawbridge, which, when lifted,
makes the palace nearly impregnable to any
thing except siege guns. As we came one
half Of the wide gates were flung open, and
we passed over the drawbridge, and presently
stood gazing up one Of the most imposing, il
not the most imposing, roadways in the
world. It Is 100 feet from curb to curb, and
ON either side, not cramped and crowded to-
gether, as is our European fashion, but each
standing in its own grounds, and built equi-
distant from and in similar style to the rest,
are series Of splendid single stored man.
sions, all of red granite. These are the town
houses of the mobiles Of the court, and stretch
away in unbroken lines for a mile or more
till the eye is arrested by the glorious vision
and heads the roadway.
As we stood gazing at this splendid sight,
of which more anon, there suddenly dashed
up to the gateway four chariots, each drawn
by two white horses The first and last of
these chariots were occupied by guards, but
the center two were empty, except for the
driver, and to these we were conducted Al
phonse and l got into the first, and Sir
,v,to fha
behind, and then suddenly off we went, and
we did go. Among the Zu-Vendi it Is not
usual to trot horses either riding or driving
especially when the journey to be made is e
short one-they go at full gallon. AS soon as
we were seated .hs driver called out, the
horses sprang forward, and we were whirled
away at speed sufficient to TAX, ones
breath. and which, till l got accustomed
it, kept me in momentary fear of an upset
AS for the wretched Alphonse he chung with
a despairing face to the side OF what he called
this devil of fiacre," thinking that every
moment was his last. Presently it occurred
to him to ask where we were going, and
told him that, so far as could ascertain, we
were going to be SAT .ilced by burning. You
should have seen his face as he grasped the
side of the vehicle and cried out in his terror.
But the wild looking charioteer only leaned
forward over his flying steeds and shouted ;
and the air, as it went singing past, bore
away the sound of Alphonse's lamentations.
And now before US, in all its marvellous
splendor and dazzling loveliness, shone out
the Temple of the Sun-the peculiar pride OF
the Zu-Vendi, to whom it was what Solomon's.
or rather Herod's, Temple was to the Jews.
The wealth and skill and labor of generations
had been given to the building of this won
derful place, which had been only finally
completed within the last fifty years.
The building itself is Of pure and polished
white marble, which shows out III marvellous
contrast to the red granite of the frowning
city, on whose brow it gil ems indeed like an
imperial diadem upon the forehead OF dusky
queen The outer surface Of the dome and of
the twelve petal courts is covered entirely
with thin sheets of beaten gold; and from the
extreme point of the roof of each of these
petals glorious golden form with a trumpet
i'm its hand and wide spread wings is figured